{{Short description|Canadian pianist (born 1997)}} {{For|the Hong Kong politician|Bruce Liu (politician)}} {{Infobox person | name = Bruce Liu | image = Bruce Liu Pianist (cropped).jpg | caption = Liu in 2022 | native_name = {{nobold|刘晓禹}} | native_name_lang = zh | birth_name = Xiaoyu Liu | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1997|05|08}} | birth_place = Paris, France | occupation = Classical pianist | website = {{URL|bruce-liu.com}} | module = {{Infobox Chinese|child=yes | t = 劉曉禹 | s = 刘晓禹 | p = Liú Xiǎoyǔ }} }} '''Bruce Liu''' ({{zh|t=劉曉禹|s=刘晓禹|p=Liú Xiǎoyǔ}}; born '''Xiaoyu Liu''' on May 8, 1997) is a Canadian pianist. Born in Paris and raised in Montreal, he began to play the piano at eight years old and was performing by age 11.<ref>{{Cite web|title= Montreal-trained Bruce (Xiaoyu) Liu wins prestigious Chopin piano competition in Warsaw|url=https://montrealgazette.com/entertainment/music/montreal-trained-bruce-liu-wins-prestigious-chopin-piano-competition-in-warsaw|access-date=2022-02-12|website=Montreal Gazette|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=蕭邦國際鋼琴大賽 華裔鋼琴家劉曉禹獲首獎 {{!}} 文化 {{!}} 中央社 CNA|url=https://www.cna.com.tw/news/acul/202110210035.aspx|access-date=2021-10-21|website=www.cna.com.tw|date=21 October 2021 |language=zh-Hant-TW}}</ref> In 2021, he rose to widespread renown after winning the XVIII International Chopin Piano Competition.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Biography Bruce Liu|url= https://www.allmusic.com/artist/bruce-liu-mn0004148322/biography|access-date=2021-12-23|website=All Music|language=en}}</ref>
==Early life and education== Liu was born in Paris to Chinese parents from Beijing. When he was six, he moved to Montreal with his father.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-11-15|title=Bruce Liu: Chopin Gold|url=https://myscena.org/arthur-kaptainis/bruce-liu-chopin-gold/|access-date=2022-02-12|website=La Scena Musicale|language=en}}</ref> He initially started piano studies on an electric keyboard but progressed to an upright piano once he became more serious.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Meet Bruce Xiaoyu Liu, the new grand master of Chopin|url=https://asia.nikkei.com/Life-Arts/Arts/Meet-Bruce-Xiaoyu-Liu-the-new-grand-master-of-Chopin|access-date=2021-11-28}}</ref> He graduated from the Montreal Conservatory of Music in the piano class of Richard Raymond. He has since been studying with Đặng Thái Sơn at the Université de Montréal.<ref>{{Cite web|title=XVIII Chopin Competition|url=https://chopin2020.pl/en/competitors/70/bruce-(xiaoyu)-liu|access-date=2021-10-18|website=chopin2020.pl}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Le Montréalais Xiaoyu Liu en finale du Concours Chopin|url=https://www.ledevoir.com/culture/musique/640956/classique-xiaoyu-liu-en-finale-du-concours-chopin|access-date=2021-10-21|website=Le Devoir|date=18 October 2021 |language=fr}}</ref>
== Career == === 2012–2021: Early career === At age 15, Liu performed with the Cleveland Orchestra and Jahja Ling at Severance Hall.<ref>{{Cite web|title=XIAOYU LIU|url= https://oamericas.org/people/xiaoyu-liu/|access-date=2022-03-31|website=Orchestra of the Americas|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title= Oberlin Cooper International Piano Competition: Winners Announced|url= https://clevelandclassical.com/oberlin-cooper-international-piano-competition-winners-announced/|access-date=2022-03-31|website=Cleveland Classical|date= 28 July 2012|language=en}}</ref> In the following years, he collaborated with many leading ensembles, such as the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, Montreal Symphony Orchestra, and the Orchestra of the Americas.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Bruce (Xiaoyu) Liu|url= https://nospr.org.pl/en/kalendarz/artysci/bruce-xiaoyu-liu|access-date=2022-03-31|website=NOSPR|language=en}}</ref> He also toured North America with the NCPA Orchestra, and China twice, with the National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine and with the Lviv National Philharmonic.<ref name="oberlin2021">{{Cite web |date=2021-06-01 |title=2021 Oberlin-Como Fellows |url=https://www.oberlin.edu/conservatory/stage-left/oberlin-como-2021-piano-festival/fellows |access-date=2021-10-18 |website=Oberlin College and Conservatory |language=en}}</ref>
In 2012, Liu won the Grand Prize at the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal Standard Life Competition.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Meet Bruce Xiaoyu Liu, the new grand master of Chopin|url=https://asia.nikkei.com/Life-Arts/Arts/Meet-Bruce-Xiaoyu-Liu-the-new-grand-master-of-Chopin|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211121010634/https://asia.nikkei.com/Life-Arts/Arts/Meet-Bruce-Xiaoyu-Liu-the-new-grand-master-of-Chopin |archive-date=2021-11-21 }}</ref> Recipient of the 2015 Prix d'Europe, he was awarded major prizes at the Thomas & Evon Cooper International Competition in 2012 and the Sendai International Music Competition in 2016.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2015-10-01|title= Xiaoyu Liu, Winner of the Prix d'Europe|url=http://www.scena.org/lsm/sm21-2/sm21-2_liu_en.html|access-date=2021-12-11|website=La Scena Musicale|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title= The 6th SIMC Piano Section|url=https://simc.jp/en/archive/6th_simc/piano/|access-date=2021-12-11|website=Sendai International Music Competition|date=5 April 2017 |language=en}}</ref> He was also a finalist of the Montreal International Music Competition and the Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Master Competition in Tel Aviv.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Xiaoyu Liu|url=https://lvivmozart.com/en/person/xiaoyu-liu|access-date=2021-10-18|website=LvivMozartArt|language=en}}</ref> In 2019, he participated in the XVI International Tchaikovsky Competition.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2019 |title=Liu Xiaoyu |url=https://tch16.medici.tv/en/competitors/liu-xiaoyu-/ |access-date=2025-01-01 |website=The XVI international Tchaikovsky Competition |language=en}}</ref>
=== 2021–present: Breakthrough and debut album === [[File: Bruce Liu - Chopin and his Europe 2022-08-31.jpg|upright=0.8|thumb|right|Liu at the Chopin and His Europe Festival in 2022]] In 2021, Liu won the XVIII International Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The winner of the 18th Chopin Competition!|url=https://chopin2020.pl/en/news/article/437/the-winner-of-the-18th-chopin-competition!|date=2021-10-21|access-date=2021-10-21|website=XVIII International Chopin Piano Competition}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Bruce (Xiaoyu) Liu of Canada is the winner of the 18th Chopin international piano competition|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory/bruce-xiaoyu-liu-canada-winner-18th-chopin-international-80696295|access-date=2021-10-21|website=ABC News|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Scislowska|first=Monika|date=2021-10-20|title=Canadian Bruce Liu wins one of the world's most prestigious piano competitions|language=en-CA|work=The Globe and Mail|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/music/article-canadian-wins-18th-chopin-international-piano-competition/|access-date=2021-10-21}}</ref> He scored the highest marks in the first three stages and was the only competitor the jury unanimously selected to progress from each round.<ref>{{Cite web|title= 18th Chopin Competition – jurors' scoring|url=https://chopin2020.pl/en/news/article/505/18th-chopin-competition---jurors'-scoring|date=2021-11-04|access-date=2021-12-22|website=XVIII International Chopin Piano Competition}}</ref> He was also the clear audience favourite and received a prolonged standing ovation for his final round performance of Chopin's Piano Concerto No. 1 with the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra under Andrey Boreyko.<ref>{{Cite web|title= Deutsche Grammophon Signs Bruce Liu on World Piano Day|url= https://www.deutschegrammophon.com/en/artists/bruce-liu/news/deutsche-grammophon-signs-bruce-liu-on-world-piano-day-265967|access-date=2022-04-01|website=Deutsche Grammophon|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Bruce (Xiaoyu) Liu – Piano Recital|url=https://chancentre.com/events/bruce-xiaoyu-liu-vcs/|access-date=2021-12-22|website= The Chan Centre for Performing Arts|language=en}}</ref>
Shortly thereafter, Liu embarked on a world tour, including performances with the NHK Symphony Orchestra, Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg, NFM Wrocław Philharmonic, and the Orquestra Sinfônica Brasileira.<ref>{{Cite web|title= The winner's world tour|url=https://chopin2020.pl/en/news/article/500/the-winner’s-world-tour|access-date=2022-03-31|website=XVIII Chopin Competition Warsaw|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Bruce Liu – Biography|url= https://www.deutschegrammophon.com/en/artists/bruce-liu/biography|access-date=2022-04-01|website=Deutsche Grammophon|language=en}}</ref> In recital, he appeared at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées in Paris, Wiener Konzerthaus, BOZAR in Brussels, Philharmonie Luxembourg, Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall, Sala São Paulo, and The Orpheum in Vancouver.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Chopin Society: Bruce Liu|url=https://vancouvercivictheatres.com/events/chopin-society-bruce-liu-february-21-2022/|access-date=2022-03-31|website=Vancouver Civic Theatres|language=en}}</ref> Replacing Nobuyuki Tsujii, he made his London debut performing Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 2 with the Philharmonia Orchestra at Royal Festival Hall.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Chopin Competition winner Bruce Liu to appear at Southbank Centre|url=https://www.pianistmagazine.com/news/chopin-competition-winner-bruce-liu-to-appear-at-southbank-centre/|access-date=2022-04-01|website=Pianist Magazine|date=11 February 2022 |language=en}}</ref> He also returned to the National Philharmonic in Warsaw on Frédéric Chopin's birthdate for two sold-out recitals, which he dedicated to the victims of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.<ref>{{Cite web|title= Concerts on the occasion of Fryderyk Chopin's birthday dedicated to victims of the war in Ukraine|url=https://nifc.pl/en/home/aktualnosci/news/41|access-date=2022-04-01|website=The Fryderyk Chopin Institute|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=I Dedicated the Concerts I Gave to the Victims of the War in Ukraine: An Interview with Bruce Liu|url= https://culture.pl/en/article/i-dedicated-the-concerts-i-gave-to-the-victims-of-the-war-in-ukraine-an-interview-with-bruce-liu|access-date=2022-04-01|website=Culture.pl|language=en}}</ref>
On World Piano Day in 2022, Liu signed an exclusive contract with Deutsche Grammophon.<ref>{{Cite web|title=DG signs pianist Bruce Liu – plus, hear new e-single!|url=https://www.gramophone.co.uk/classical%20music%20news/article/dg-signs-pianist-bruce-liu-plus-hear-new-e-single|access-date=2022-04-01|website=Gramophone Magazine|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Canadian pianist Bruce Liu signs for Deutsche Grammophon on World Piano Day|url= https://www.pianistmagazine.com/news/canadian-pianist-bruce-liu-signs-for-deutsche-grammophon/|access-date=2022-04-01|website=Pianist Magazine|date= 29 March 2022|language=en}}</ref> Months earlier, the label released a live album of his performances at the International Chopin Piano Competition.<ref>{{Cite web|title=DG Set to Release Live Highlights from 18th International Chopin Piano Competition Winner Bruce Liu|url=https://www.deutschegrammophon.com/en/composers/frederic-chopin/news/dg-set-to-release-live-highlights-from-18th-international-chopin-piano-competition-winner-bruce-liu-264572|date=2021-10-21|access-date=2021-10-25|website=Deutsche Grammophon}}</ref> The album was critically acclaimed and received praise from publications such as BBC Music Magazine and Gramophone.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Chopin: Piano Works (Liu)|url= https://www.classical-music.com/reviews/instrumental/chopin-piano-works-liu/|access-date=2022-03-31|website=BBC Music Magazine|language=en}}</ref> The latter included it on its list of the best classical albums of 2021 and called it "one of the most distinguished Chopin recitals of recent years, full of maturity, character and purpose."<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-12-31|title=The Best Classical Albums of 2021|url= https://www.gramophone.co.uk/features/article/the-best-classical-albums-of-2021|access-date=2022-02-19|website=Gramophone Magazine|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-12-04|title= Bruce Liu: Chopin – Review -| url= https://www.gramophone.co.uk/review/bruce-liu-chopin |access-date=2021-12-18|website=Gramophone Magazine|language=en}}</ref>
== Personal life == Liu speaks fluent French, English, and Mandarin Chinese.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-11-15|title=Bruce Liu: Chopin Gold|url=https://myscena.org/arthur-kaptainis/bruce-liu-chopin-gold/|access-date=2021-12-23|website=La Scena Musicale|language=en}}</ref>
== Discography == {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" ! style="width:14em;" | Title ! style="width:12em;" | Album details ! style="width:12em;" | Certifications |- !scope="row" | ''Bruce Liu – Winner of the International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition 2021''<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.deutschegrammophon.com/en/catalogue/products/chopin-bruce-liu-12506|title=Product Family {{!}} CHOPIN Bruce Liu|publisher=Deutsche Grammophon|access-date=December 1, 2021}}</ref> | * Released: November 19, 2021 * Label: Deutsche Grammophon * Format: CD, digital download, streaming | * ZPAV: Gold<ref>{{cite web|url=http://bestsellery.zpav.pl/wyroznienia/zloteplyty/cd/archiwum.php?year=2022#title|title=Albums and singles certified Gold in 2022|publisher=ZPAV|language=pl|access-date=February 16, 2022}}</ref> |- ! scope="row" | ''Chopin: Piano Concerto in E minor, Sonata in B flat minor, Ballade in F major, Rondo à la Mazur''<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://sklep.nifc.pl/index.php?produkt=2_185&fbclid=IwAR2_OZTVtJUpiBwqDc6gxj8UhY0OF2ueD0GHVphDbQa8PyPUtL04o7lkT4M&&&&&jezyk=eng|title=CD by Chopin Competition winner!|publisher=The Fryderyk Chopin Institute Store|access-date=January 20, 2022}}</ref> | * Released: January 20, 2022 * Label: Fryderyk Chopin Institute * Format: CD, digital download, streaming | |- ! scope="row" | ''Waves: Music by Rameau · Ravel · Alkan''<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.deutschegrammophon.com/en/catalogue/products/waves-bruce-liu-13108|title=WAVES Bruce Liu|publisher=Deutsche Grammophon|access-date=November 3, 2023}}</ref> | * Released: November 3, 2023 * Label: Deutsche Grammophon * Format: CD, digital download, streaming | |- ! scope="row" | ''Tchaikovsky: The Seasons''<ref>{{Cite web|url= https://www.deutschegrammophon.com/en/catalogue/products/tchaikovsky-the-seasons-bruce-liu-13581|title=TCHAIKOVSKY The Seasons / Bruce Liu |publisher=Deutsche Grammophon|access-date=November 26, 2024}}</ref> | * Released: November 1, 2024 * Label: Deutsche Grammophon * Format: CD, digital download, streaming | |}
== Awards == * 2012: Thomas & Evon Cooper International Competition – Second Prize * 2012: Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal Standard Life Competition – Grand Prize * 2015: Prix d'Europe – Winner * 2016: Sendai International Music Competition – Fourth Prize and Audience Prize * 2021: International Chopin Piano Competition – First Prize
== References == {{reflist}}
== External links == * [https://www.bruce-liu.com/ Official website] * [https://www.deutschegrammophon.com/en/artists/bruce-liu Bruce Liu – Deutsche Grammophon] *[https://www.kdschmid.de/en/artists/artist-information/informationen-zum-kuenstler/show/details/bruce-liu-new65097f7fbd5d1438111131/ Bruce Liu – KD Schmid]
{{Winners of the Chopin Competition}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Liu, Bruce (Xiaoyu)}} Category:1997 births Category:Living people Category:International Chopin Piano Competition winners Category:21st-century Canadian classical pianists Category:Deutsche Grammophon artists Category:Music & Arts artists Category:Canadian musicians of Chinese descent Category:Canadian male pianists Category:21st-century male pianists